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Monday, December 13, 2010

Back in November....

On November 20th, the day before my husband's hospitalization, a group of my quilting buddies and I got together one day for a mini retreat. SWEET! It's a great group of friends and each has their own unique and diverse talents. Why is it when quilters gather, there is a calm gentleness that settles over all in attendance yet the productivity, frivolity and friendships blossom are wondrous? I so enjoy spending my time this way. Each bringing something to share, show and or tell and a common fellowship of like minded souls just makes me smile remembering it. Anyways, sorry about the soliloquy with the run on sentences and such. Anyhoo here are some snaps of them.

First up is Michelle. She has so many talents besides the ability to throw herself into any project at 150%! Her energy and the color combinations she does is absolutely stunning. Here she is working on some charm squares into a "fall looking quilt", ( I think she brought 5 projects to finish up and she succeeded in finishing 3 and almost the 4th, Amazing!

Here's Gina, a good friend and neighbor (lucky me). She has a heart of gold and is a wonderful quilter. The values of the fabrics she selects is not what in my mind thinks up BUT hers is "so Gina" and works every time. She actually brought in fabrics to make a prayer shawl for someone she knows and thinks they could use. I have since seen it completed and what a darling comfort shawl. Soothing on the outside with a special little kick for the woman it was made for on the inside, just right for a special warming hug.

Next up is Cheryl. Talk about a lady who has been through so much. You couldn't tell by looking at her or talking with her. She is battling cancer again and the chutzpa she has for life is amazing. What strength and yet so amiable. I won't share her complete story with all the upsets she's had in her life but believe me, this is one tough, positive and tenacious lady.

Next is Cathy. She and I have know each other the longest, perhaps 36-37 years. After finishing college, while working in the Hospital Laboratory, is when I first met her. Even though working in different departments and life bringing us into different employments, she is a good friend. This lady not only is a talented quilter but what a voice! She can sing and not some timid little voice, but a deep full voice that is right on every time. I'll let you know a little secret, that when I hear her sing, I actually get goose bumps! That only happens with certain singers like Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli and such. Her voice is amazing like that too. Besides the voice, she also is a remarkable quilter and she owns her own long arm machine besides her domestic.

Here's Carole. What a sweetheart she is and I love the way she embraces her spiritual life force. She is not a "hoo doo voodoo personality" if you know what I mean, but an old soul that is very grounded within her life talents and just knows where she needs to go, follow or do. Carole is another amazing quilter and she also followed her heart. She and a business associate opened a quilt shop, Fibre Junction. Her philosophies are wholesome yet unique. If you ever get the chance and get to Rouses Point, NY, make sure you check out her shop, you won't be disappointed. I think they offer the most variety of reproductions and civil war fabrics in the northeast, they gain more weeklyand most recently have acquired a beautiful selection of wools. Not only is she a very talented quilter but I also absolutely love, love love her hand stitching. It's the most exquisite stitching I think I've ever seen!

Lastly is my wise, kind and sweet friend Trudy. What a fantastic lady she is. Since we first met over 10 years ago, there has always been a special connection between us that was there then and continues on strongly today. Her talents are many. Her sense of community, organization, color selections, and determination that she follows through on any project are just some of her many strengths. She too is going through some difficulties, but to look at her you'd never know. See that smile? She just had surgery the day before our get together and the next she here. What a trooper.

So here are a few of my friends. It's great to spend time with them all the while having fun and creating memories are priceless. Now the reason I first thought of posting today is to show the quilt that I worked on lastly.This one:Well, for that day I brought 5 projects too. I was successful in getting 2 of them done and since the bible block quilt was making it's way to me to do my share I worked on this too. This quilt is being made by all of us. Since Cheryl is fighting the big C, her mother always wanted her to make a quilt for the Eastern Star organization that she belongs too. All of us wanted to help Cheryl with her tasks, so we stepped up and started to help get this made. Cheryl, Trudy and Cathy went shopping for fabrics, (some at Carole's shop) then we got back together with the Rosemary Makhan book, More Biblical Blocks to select which 2 blocks we wanted to make and select which fabrics we wanted to use and where. Trudy and I did the math to make sure each person had enough of their fabric selections to make the blocks. When all the blocks were completed, Trudy, Cheryl and Cathy sewed the top together. The quilt then made it's way to Carole who donated the backing and the batting (wadding) besides doing the machine quilting on her LA. Then it came to me to sew on the binding. (It was going to have a piped trim binding but that was opted-out by Cheryl). So on December 4th, I brought it to Michelle's so she can finish hand stitching the binding. What a pretty quilt and what a great feeling to assist just a bit with a friend's wants and needs. Friends are one of life's greatest pleasures and not to be taken for granted.

Enjoy your day,Jane

A nice quote that resonated with me recently is: "How you spend your time is how you spend your life."

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About Me

I am happily married to my dear husband of 39 years. We have 2 grown children, a son and daughter that are on their own and are raising a beautiful family each. My son has 2 precious sons and my daughter has a gorgeous daughter and precious son. More favorite quotes of mine are: I Love America! and Life is Good! This blog is just a public format to "journal" the current interests happeninig in my life. Mostly being the family and my creativity.